Beside Still Waters (10 page)

             
Someone was close by.  She could hear them moving.

             
“Okay, time to get down to business.”

             
It was the man with the softer voice.

             
A hand wrapped around her arm and she jumped and screamed.  The sound was severely muted because of the gag.  She thrashed around but his grip tightened and he pulled her along a rough floor, scratching her bare legs.

             
He grabbed her other arm and hauled her to her feet.  She swayed, still bound and unable to get her balance.  He shoved her hard in the chest and she fell backward.  She braced herself for the impact but was jarred when it came sooner than expected.

             
She had landed in some kind of chair.  Her handcuffed hands took the brunt of her weight and were crushed between her body and the chair.  She could feel the steel biting into her skin even harder and something warm and sticky started running over her hands.  Moments later she smelled the blood.  Her stomach clenched harder and she was sure she was going to be sick.

             
“Now, where is it?” the man demanded.

             
Unable to speak around the gag she shook her head violently side-to-side.  Where was what?  What could he possibly be looking for?

             
“I’m going to take off the gag, but if you try to scream again I’m going to slit your throat.  Do you understand?”

             
She nodded.

             
Metal touched her cheek and she jerked back.

             
Pain exploded across her cheek and she heard the ring of a slap.  “Stupid wahine, sit still,” he barked.

             
The metal touched her cheek again and slid between her skin and the cloth of the gag.  There was the sound of ripping fabric and the gag came free.  She spat it out of her mouth.

             
“I don’t know what you want, please let me go!” she begged.

             
“Don’t play games with me.  I know you have it.  Now you’re going to tell me where to find it.”

             
“Look, I don’t know who you are and I don’t know what you think I have.  I’m just a tourist.  I was here for the long weekend.  Then I go back home where I’m just a church secretary.  You must have me mistaken for somebody else.”

             
He grabbed the blindfold and yanked it up off of her head.  She blinked in shock as she found herself staring at a guy who looked like a younger version of Uncle.  He was holding up a picture of her.  It was blurry, but there she was at Pearl Harbor.

             
“You want to tell me I’ve made a mistake and this isn’t you?” he asked.

             
“I don’t understand.  Yes, that’s me.  I visited the memorial.  So?”

             
“So, you’re going to tell me everything you know.”

             
“I don’t know anything!”  Tears of frustration and fear burned her eyes.

             
A creak above their heads caused him to look up with a scowl.  He turned and climbed up a narrow set of stairs and slammed the door at the top closed behind him.

             
Cindy scooted forward to the edge of her chair and then off it and onto her knees with a thud.  She bit back a yelp of pain as her left knee landed on something sharp.

             
She could hear voices but didn’t stop to focus on hearing what was being said.  She rolled onto her back and doubled her knees up.  She pushed off the floor with shoulders and feet, arching her back. 

             
Her hands were handcuffed behind her back.  If she could get them in front of her she could hopefully get her legs untied and find something she could use as a weapon.  She should have tried before but she’d still been too dazed to think clearly.

             
She struggled, trying to stretch her arms far enough that she could get her wrists under her rear.  She arched her back harder until it felt like she was going to break her spine and she strained harder.  Her hands were getting coated in blood from where the metal was digging into her wrists.

             
Finally she made it and then strained to make it past her legs.  The voices upstairs were getting louder and she contorted herself as much as she could.  She needed just another inch of clearance.

             
Her right ankle twisted painfully as she forced her hands around the feet.  Finally she cleared them and she had her hands in front of her.  She sat up and began to work at the knot on the rope binding her legs.  Her hands slipped and she wiped them on the dress.

             
Geanie will never let me borrow anything else
.  Even as she struggled to undo the knots she couldn’t believe how the absurdest things could come to mind even when your life was in danger.

             
A fingernail snapped off and another bent backwards.  She kept going and finally the knot began to give.  She redoubled her efforts as she could hear more footsteps above her.  The knot was loosening ever so slowly and she wanted to scream.  Finally
,
it came free
,
and she yanked the rope o
f
f her legs and stood up.

             
Her right ankle twisted underneath her but she caught herself on the chair before she could fall.  Even though the boat was docked she could still feel motion and it made her that much more unsteady on her feet.  She turned and made her way limping to the door as quickly as she could.  She took the stairs, using her hands to support much of the weight on her right side which was hard given the handcuffs.

             
She held her breath as she pushed at the door.  It was unlocked.  She knew she’d have only a minute to run for it.  She didn’t know which part of the boat she was in or where the men were.  If she tried to make it to the dock someone might see her and help her, but that would depend on where they were.  She knew that some parts of the island were very isolated.  They might not even be on the same island.  If she made it into the water it would be a simple thing for them to catch her.

             
With her hurt ankle and wrists still cuffed together she couldn’t trust to speed.  So she’d have to rely on stealth.  She opened the door just enough so that she could see out.  She was facing the ocean and couldn’t see anything but water.

             
The voices were coming through clearly now.  Money seemed to be the topic of conversation.  Maybe if she was very lucky the two men would kill each other.  She eased the door open and slipped out, half crouching.  She closed the door quietly.  There was a wall behind her with the door in the center of it.  She eased her way to the one side of it and peeked around the corner.  She could see the two men talking heatedly. 

             
She pulled back and moved to the other side of the boat.  She peeked around the wall there and couldn’t see anyone.  In front of her the railing was only about three feet tall.  If she could get over the side and into the water without getting caught maybe she could make it to another boat. 

             
She scurried to the railing and hoisted her left leg over, noticing that her knee was bloody.  She turned and saw that there were little drops of blood to show where she’d gone.  She didn’t have time to worry about it, though.  A round life preserver was hanging on the railing and she grabbed it and put it over her head.  Handcuffed it would be hard to swim effectively and quietly.  The preserver, as long as there was nothing wrong with it, would make her job easier.

             
She eased her right leg over the railing and nearly froze as she looked down at the ocean beneath her.  It was a good four foot drop into the water from the lowest part of the rail.  She eased herself down as low to the water as she could and then finally lowered herself down.  Her feet and calves went into the water and then it was time to let go.

             
Terror surged through her.  She didn’t want to fall into the water.  She didn’t want them to hear her do so either. 

             
God, please help me
, she prayed.  She let go, grabbing the life preserver as she did.  She dropped into the water with enough force to almost tear the life preserver out of her hands.  She clung to it, though, gritting her teeth at how much noise she had just made.  At least she was on the opposite side of the boat.  Plus the two men were arguing so loudly hopefully they didn’t hear her splash.

             
She positioned the life preserver just in front of her so it was keeping her head and part of her chest out of the water.  Then she began to kick, making sure to keep her legs underwater to minimize the sound.  She knew instantly it was going to be hard going.  She kicked off her sandals, wondering why she hadn’t thought to do so earlier.

             
You can do this
, she told herself. 
Just keep kicking.

             
Behind her she heard a gunshot ring out and her heart jumped.  One of the men must have shot the other.  Maybe she was safe.

             
More likely, though, her escape was about to be discovered.  She gave up all pretense at stealth as she kicked wildly, heading for the next boat over at the dock.  Her knee was stinging like fire from the salt water and her ankle was throbbing with every kick.

             
She was halfway between the two boats.  She was going to make it.  Once on board hopefully she’d be able to call for help.  How long would it take the authorities to arrive?  Could she hide long enough to be safe?

             
Something hit the water inches from her and a moment later she heard another gunshot.

             
He’s shooting at me
, she realized.  She tried to change course, to zig zag, but she was moving impossibly slow.  Water splashed her in the face and she coughed on it, choking.  She couldn’t breathe and the pain was becoming unbearable.  She saw someone on the other boat and she tried to shout but just sucked in more water.  She couldn’t wave her arms without abandoning her life preserver and her injured legs wouldn’t allow her to tread water for very long.  If she tried to float she’d just be a sitting target.

             
She had to keep going.  She kicked as hard as she could, until the pain was nearly blinding.  Another bullet went into the water nearby.  Then another splashed water into her eyes.

             
She didn’t dare risk looking behind her.  She just tried to focus on her destination.  It was a small yacht with the name
Pearl of the Deep
written on it.

             
Her life preserver jerked
,
and she saw a bullet hole in it just as
she
heard the shot ring out.

             
She swerved again, wishing she knew how many bullets before the man would have to reload.  At the rate they were going it seemed that he would run out of bullets before she could reach the other ship.

             
Finally the
Pearl of the Deep
loomed in front of her.  She aimed for a ladder on the side.  She reached it and hauled herself out, praying she didn’t get shot as she did so.  She made it onto the boat and collapsed on the deck.  She was dizzy and sick with exhaustion.

             
A shadow fell over her and she glanced up to see a man looking at her in surprise.  He was wearing khaki shorts and a salmon colored polo shirt and looked to be in his forties.  He was
star
ing at her with open curiosity.

             
“Where did you come from?” he asked.

             
“Please help me,” she sobbed.  “I’ve been kidnapped.  And now they’re trying to kill me!  It’s that boat over there,” she said, pointing.  “They were shooting at me.”

             
“That’s one of the worst things I’ve ever heard,” he said, shaking his head.

             
“Please, can you call the police?” she begged.  “And get down. They might shoot you, too.”

             
“If they couldn’t hit you when you were ten feet away I’m sure they won’t be able to hit me now,” he said, smiling.

             
He doesn’t believe me
, she realized in despair. 
How had he missed hearing the gunshots?

             
“Please, you don’t understand.  We’re in terrible danger,” she sobbed.  “Call Kapono.  He’s a detective with the Honolulu police.  He’ll be able to help.”

             
“Not in time, my dear,” the man said, crouching down beside her.  “I’m afraid you’re a long way from Honolulu.”

             
She heard shouting and she twisted her head around so she could finally see the dock.  The guy she recognized as her kidnapper was running down it.